Public Policy Network

Congress may feel a little like comedian Rodney Dangerfield who was famous for bemoaning the fact that he "got no respect." Dangerfield once observed, "My psychiatrist told me I was crazy, and I said, 'I want a second opinion.' He said, 'Okay, you're ugly too.'" Today's Congress is presiding over a strong economy with very low unemployment, yet the RealClearPolitics political website polling average shows that 73 percent of the public disapproves of Congress, while only 18.2 percent approves.

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Labor Day holds a special place on election-year calendars because that is when many voters start to lock in their candidate preferences. However, as everyone in politics learned in 2016, many of the accepted dynamics of previous elections may no longer apply.

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It seems like Washington is becoming a tougher place to live and work. Members of the current administration are being driven out of restaurants by protesters and even denied service. Barbs and personal attacks are flying frequently at all levels of power. In the broader range of history, however, it may be comforting to remember that things have been much worse.

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As July ends, members of the House are home for recess. Fifty-seven Representatives are not seeking re-election, and are either retiring or seeking a different office. The Senate has delayed its August recess so that it can stay in Washington to work on the confirmation of judges and other matters.

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As Congress turns the corner and heads for home... wait a minute! It is not even June and the Congress is nearing the finish line? Yes, indeed. Between now and the November 6 elections, the Congress will be in session only 47 days (leaving 113 days for campaigning). In the Senate, only "must do" bills will get floor time, along with confirmation votes, many of which are for Administration-backed judicial nominations.

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Washington is at a major policy inflection point, driven by two significant developments: one expected and one that surprised many. The first is the increasing signs that the 2018 mid-term elections will be every bit as challenging as history would suggest for the party of a first-term president. The second is the deficit impact of the Republican tax cut legislation of late December (the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) and the bipartisan omnibus spending bill of late March (the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018), which will sharply increase government debt. These two developments will make governing in the coming years even more challenging.

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